


Empathy

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 04:38:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sara wakes up from another nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Empathy

Sara didn’t move, didn’t scream. She just opened her eyes as she woke from her nightmare, completely out of breath from fear but managing to keep quiet. Her training was good.

Oliver woke up anyway. He turned to her and said, simply, “Tell me.”

She rolled over to lie on her side, facing away from him. “I’m fine,” she said to the wall.

Oliver stared at the back of her head, at her shoulders slumping from terror and exhaustion. 

“I’d understand,” he said. _If anyone would understand, it’s me._

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “Stop talking and let me go back to sleep.”

He looked up at the ceiling. “Okay,” he said, resigned. 

They were silent for a minute. 

Finally, she said, “It wasn’t a dream about what happened to me. It was about the things I did to people.”

Oliver swallowed. “Sorry.” _You’re not a monster. Or if you are, so am I._

“Yeah,” she said.

He moved closer to her, slowly, carefully the way you had to when nearing a fighter of her skills. She didn’t stop him as he gently slid his arms around her waist and held her tight, her back smooth and warm across his chest. 

Eventually she pretended to fall asleep, presumably so Oliver could sleep too. So he pretended also, and they lay there, wrapped around each other with their eyes closed in the cold night air, until dawn crept into their room.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for mammothluv for fandomstocking.


End file.
